The present technology relates to a robot apparatus (hereinafter referred simply to “a robot”) which works in real life situations of a user, for example, livelihood support such as housekeeping, wellbeing, nursing, or aid, and relates to a control method thereof and a computer program. In particular, the present technology relates to a robot which performs object transfer interaction, that is, handing operation, with a user, and relates to a control method thereof and a computer program.
A robot which is designed to perform routine tasks and is installed in a factory has been known in the related art. In recent years, a robot which can perform various types of operation has been increasingly realized. The latter robot is applied to fields such as welfare, nursing, and aid, and for example, such a robot fetches a desired object and hands it to a physically handicapped person.
However, if the robot performs an operation of handing to a user without taking into consideration the body characteristics of the user, unnecessary burdens may be placed on the user who receives the object. For example, if the robot attempts to hand an object from left side to the user having a handicap on the left side of the body, a burden is placed on the user. In the worst case, it is difficult for the user to receive the object.
In addition, even when a user is an able-bodied person, if the robot attempts to hand an object to the person from an opposite side to handedness, the user may be under stress. There is risk of the user failing to receive the object, thereby dropping and damaging the object.
Additionally, if the robot attempts to hand an object to a user without taking into consideration the location or the height of a hand of a user who receives the object, it is difficult for a tall user to receive the object without bending down, thus physical suffering is imparted on the user.
Thus, a communication robot has been proposed. This robot determines a degree of intimacy with a user on the basis of the distance between the user and the robot or the time period during the user is looking at the robot, and which updates an interaction parameter such that interaction is optimized (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-247780). Although the above-described communication robot may also update a communication parameter, the robot does not take into consideration a posture of a user being standing or sitting, etc., and a handedness of the user. Therefore, even though it is effective in the procedure in which the communication robot establishes an optimized interaction with the user, comfortable interaction in which burdens are not placed on the user is not performed once the optimized relationship has been established.
In addition, a robot has been proposed which synchronizes with an operation of a user and further varies the synchronization relationship (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-342873). However, the word “synchronization” means “engagement,” thus it is substantially different from the consideration of the user body characteristics or interaction performed without placing a burden on the user.
In addition, a dialogue robot, which recognizes a user and the direction of the user using a wireless tag or an infrared tag and which provides service and content which are appropriate for the user, has been proposed (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-268696). However, the conversation robot provides service and content which are appropriate for the user even when the user indicates interest toward the direction of the robot while the user is not in front of the robot, or when the user is not facing in the direction of the robot, thus it is substantially different from the interaction performed while the user body characteristics, such as facing the direction of the user, are considered.